


Midnight Turmoil

by WhitePikachu



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Confessions, Eventual Romance, M/M, Mention of blood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-10 11:49:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12911325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhitePikachu/pseuds/WhitePikachu
Summary: December is here. The winter air feels cool, and the fog is immensely dense. The culprit is in their sights and all they have to do is catch him.Wait… Where’s Souji?





	1. Interrupted Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Yosuke, Yu're Gay](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1255387) by [Cawaiiey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cawaiiey/pseuds/Cawaiiey). 



> THIS IS THE CHRISTMAS FIC AAAAAAAAAAAAA
> 
> Multi-chapter, and I'll try to post a chapter every few or so days! I don't really know how long this'll be yet, so just ride with it until it ends!

Yosuke was at the food court, wondering why he was still at Junes since everyone was either too ill or too terrified to leave their homes because of the plague-like fog. Yosuke felt uneasy as well, but considering that he has been fighting in this fog for the past 7 months, he felt accustomed to the fog’s effects. What made him truly feel uneasy was that the fog that was supposed to stay in the television, was now leaking into his world for some reason.

All he wanted was to catch Adachi and stop the Inaba population from converting into bloodthirsty Shadows. Even though this was the same fog, it isn’t the same world. If Shadows attacked him here, he would be helpless without his Persona.

Yosuke sighed as he continued to scan the food court for customers. Nothing. He has mixed feelings about Junes being completely barren of customers. On one hand, he was happy that he didn’t have to worry about catering to the public while at the same time trying to catch the culprit, but on the other hand, he’s concerned about everyone in the town, because no one knows how to defend themselves against this thick fog.

Yosuke sat down at one of the many empty tables that the Investigation Team used for their meetings. They were supposed to go into the TV today and make some progress on Magatsu Inaba when Yosuke finished his shift. Yosuke pulled out his phone, and he broke a sweat when he read the clock and realized there was only half an hour left to his shift. Everyone was probably making their way over to Junes by now.

He has never felt so prepared, but so nervous about taking down a dungeon. Something about Adachi’s dungeon rubs him the wrong way because he thought that if the fog envelops the town and transforms everyone into Shadows, that’s how this town would look like in the aftermath. Signs knocked down around on the floors, caution tape around every corner, and Shadows running amok. The thought lingered at the back of his head, and it let him pull off attacks with gusto, in order to protect his town. Susano-o let him demolish Shadows with Garudyne, but he never outshined anyone else on the team. He was fast enough to hit those weak to wind, while his partner struck down the other Shadows with the other elements. If any survived, Naoto would quickly wrap up the fight with light or darkness. No Shadow could stop their team.

He had Souji to thank for that.

His partner, the leader of the Investigation Team, and he was sure everyone agreed that he was by far the most powerful member of the team. It was because of Souji that everyone even received their Personas and was still alive to begin with, and Yosuke would’ve never found out Saki’s true feelings if Souji never agreed to take him into the TV. His partner was powerful, reliable, awesome, perfect, handsome…

Shaking his head after thinking about Souji in a way he has never thought about before, he looked at his phone again and exhaled when he realized that it was time to clock out. He went back downstairs and started to make his way over to the employee’s office to clock out when he saw Naoto, Chie, and Yukiko walk into the store. Naoto was the first to notice Yosuke walking towards them.

“Oh, hello Yosuke-senpai. Did we come too early?” Naoto had a confused look on her face, as she was certain that she had the time right.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re actually right on time. I was about to clock out.”

Naoto let out a sigh of relief and nodded. “I see. I’ll be waiting at the food court, then.” She started to walk toward the elevator to leave for the food court when Chie finally spoke up.

“Do you think anyone is still working by the food court? I could use some meat before we go into the TV.” Yosuke facepalmed and Yukiko let out a snort.

“Isn’t… hrnk… rigorous exercise bad for you right after eating?” Yukiko tried to keep her giggles to a minimum, given the serious situation.

“Damn, you’re right. Oh! I’ll just get some when we come back, then!”

Yosuke sighed and left them to their cheerful banter. Good to see that everyone is in high spirits given the dire situation.

When Yosuke clocked out and received a warning to be careful in the fog by other employees, he went back upstairs to the food court and saw that Kanji and Teddie were there as well as the three other girls who showed up earlier.

“What’s up Yosuke-senpai?” Kanji called out to Yosuke, in his usual loud tone.

“Sometimes I wonder why Junes is still open if no one is showing up because of this fog.” Yosuke sighed.

Chie spoke up in the same loud tone as Kanji. “Do you think everyone’s listening to that guy running around Inaba screaming ‘the gas is poison!’ or something?”

Everyone shrugged and remained silent until Yosuke started looking around, seemingly searching for something. Teddie then spoke up.

“What’s up, Yuki-chan?” Everyone turned to Yukiko, who stopped looking around and turned to the team.

“Nothing really, but… Aren’t Souji-kun and Rise-chan running a little later than usual?” Everyone looked around and confusion overtook the group.

“You know, you’re right…” Chie started. “I thought Souji would be here by now.”

Naoto turned to Chie. “Rise-chan is usually on time to our meetings as well.”

A moment of silence passed while everyone tried to think of a viable reason the two were late to an important Investigation Team meeting, then they heard the elevator ding. They turned their heads, expecting to find both of the late members, but instead, they found a tired and nervous Rise.

Rise frantically ran to the team, still panting, and everyone stood up, now anxious and worried about what happened. After a few seconds, Rise finally caught her breath and was able to speak.

“Guys… hah… Senpai… Senpai’s missing!”

“What?!” Everyone shouted in unison and began bombarding Rise with questions such as ‘are you sure’, ‘how do you know’, ‘what do you mean’, and ‘what happened’, to name a few examples.

Naoto started to speak up but was being ignored by the loud volume of everyone asking questions.

“Everyone… Everyone…!” Naoto’s words were still being ignored.

Kanji noticed Naoto’s attempt to calm everyone down and get them to listen, and he took initiative.

“ **_Everyone shut up for a second, damn it!_ ** ”

Everyone turned their heads and turned to Kanji, who nodded to Naoto. Naoto mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Kanji before speaking.

“We have to calm down. Frantically asking Rise for answers won’t solve anything. Let her explain the situation, and we can take action from the information that we have.”

Everyone nodded and took their seats except Rise, who was still standing. All eyes were on Rise, beckoning her to begin her story and clear up the situation.

“Before I tell you guys what I know… Teddie, did you sense anyone’s presence in the TV?”

Teddie’s eyes widened. “Uh… I-I only felt Adachi-baby there, last time I checked. But that was a while ago…” Teddie’s eyes were cast down to the floor as he finished his sentence.

Yosuke spoke up, his anxiety increasing by the second. “Y-you don’t mean to tell us that he went into the TV by himself?!”

Rise shook her head. “I don’t think Senpai would go in without telling us. But… We can’t just assume that he isn’t in the TV.”

Yosuke was starting to shake with anxiety. If he went into the TV and got hurt, he would crush every Shadow in the TV without a shred of mercy.

Everyone could feel the rage that was building up within Yosuke. He already lost Saki, and if he lost Souji…

“Yosuke-senpai, I know how you feel. But we have to calm down so we can find Senpai.”

Yosuke looked up at Rise and nodded his head.

“Alright… So um…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! To be honest, this chapter felt waaaay longer in my notebook when I was just writing it down. Can't believe it's so short when I type it into my computer.
> 
> Just so you're informed, chapters 2 and 3 are already written, so I just have to type them and publish them. Thanks for being patient!


	2. Souji's Whereabouts

Recap:

_ “Yosuke-senpai, I know how you feel. But we have to calm down so we can find Senpai.” _

_ Yosuke looked up at Rise and nodded his head. _

_ “Alright… So um…” _

* * *

 

“So… I went to Senpai’s house because I wanted to walk to Junes with him, but when I knocked on the door, no one responded. I swear I spent five to ten minutes knocking on the door, too. I figured he might’ve gone to visit Nanako-chan and his uncle at the hospital, so that’s where I went next.”

Yosuke interrupted. “He does usually spend his free time there. Did he go there to wait until we had to meet up…?”

Rise nodded her head. “That’s what I thought too. I asked the doctor if I could visit Nanako-chan, and when I did, it didn’t seem like I could speak with her. I asked the doctor if Senpai visited the hospital today but he said he didn’t see ‘the silver-haired boy’ today.”

Everyone exchanged looks and Naoto questioned Rise. “Did you do anything else afterward?”

Rise nodded again. “There was no school today, so I just checked Samegawa and asked around in the shopping district. I didn’t find him near the riverbank, and no one saw him yesterday or today in the shopping district.”

Yosuke’s anxiety started building up again. “Teddie!” He shouted, alarming everyone. “You said you sensed Adachi’s presence in the TV, right? Are you  **_sure_ ** that you never felt him vanish?”

Teddie stuttered in response. “I’m s-sure he didn’t leave, i-if that’s what you’re asking!”

Yosuke inhaled and exhaled sharply. “Guys… can we please check inside the TV for him…?”

Naoto spoke up. “There’s no signs of rain in the upcoming days, because of all this thick fog. We most likely won’t get any results by waiting for the Midnight Channel to air, if Souji really is inside the TV.”

Everyone nodded and it seems like they came to a consensus. Teddie stood up and started to speak while looking at Rise. “With our combined powers, we’ll be sure to find Sensei!”

“Yeah!” Everyone shouted in unison. The team started to make their way to the TV they use to transport themselves to the other world, but Yosuke stopped, deep in thought.

_ Souji might be in trouble. I can’t let him die to Shadows… If this is just a repeat of what happened to Saki-senpai… No. I couldn’t save her. She’s gone. But I have the power to find Souji, even if he’s in the TV. Hang in there, partner… _

“Yosuke-senpai? You good?”

Yosuke looked up and was surprised to see Kanji by himself. Everyone must’ve been downstairs already.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine.”

“You sure? You look pale.”

Yosuke hid his face behind his hands. “I’ll live. C’mon, let’s get Souji back.”

Kanji nodded and the two went downstairs to find the team waiting for them in front of the TV.

“There you are!” Rise exclaimed as she spotted the pair of boys walking towards them. “We were worried you got cold feet!”

Yosuke chuckled. “And not save Souji? Never.” He looked at everyone and continued speaking. “Everyone ready?”

Everyone nodded and took a step towards the TV, but Naoto spoke up, causing everyone to stop in their tracks and look back at her.

“Before we enter, shouldn’t we assign someone to be our leader in Souji-senpai’s absence?”

Everyone exchanged confused looks and shrugged. Teddie raised his hand excitedly.

“Me! Mememe! I’ll make a beary good leader!”

Everyone groaned and Chie shoved Teddie onto the floor.

“Don’t think that being our leader just means that this’ll be a repeat of the King’s Game in Club Escapade!” That comment made Yukiko and Rise blush with embarrassment.

Kanji spoke up in response. “I nominate Yosuke-senpai.”

Yosuke turned his head to Kanji and gave him a confused look, trying to find the words to respond to him. “H-huh? Why me?”

Chie nodded her head. “Yeah, he was basically Souji’s right-hand man.” Yukiko nodded.

“Mm-hmm. I’m sure Souji-kun would accept it as well.”

Naoto spoke up after a moment of silence. “So, we’re all in agreement then. Let’s go.”

Teddie turned to Yosuke and huffed. “Hmph! Why’s  **_he_ ** leader?”

Yosuke was flushing by the group’s comments. Was it really so obvious? Did Souji care about him that much? Did he just never notice, and everyone thought he was oblivious as a result?

Whatever it was, he decided to leave it for later. Everyone was now entering the TV and he wasn’t going to be left behind like he was at the food court.

“Let’s go find Souji!” Yosuke shouted.

Everyone cheered as they entered the TV.

 

~Inside the TV~

 

As everyone rose up to their feet (some don’t always stick their landings) and got their bearings, Rise called her Persona and started scanning the area around them.

“Hmm…” Everyone stared at Rise in silence and waited for her results.

A moment passed while Rise scanned the area with Kanzeon, and Teddie sniffed around as much as he could.

“I… I got a reading!” Rise exclaimed suddenly.

“R-really?!” Yosuke shouted in response. “Do you know where he is?!”

“Still trying to get his location…”

Yosuke was shaking with anxiety, now knowing that Souji is in the TV. All he had to do was kill every Shadow that would try to stop him from reaching his best friend.

“H-huh…?” Rise started.

Yosuke looked up. “What is it?”

“I have a location. It’s not a new area…”

Teddie perked up. “Raaaawr! That’s right! He’s in Heaven!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez I hate how short these chapters are when it feels so long in the notebook I'm writing them in. I promise the future chapters will be longer, or at least I'll try to make them longer and not just make the chapters be filled with extra fluff that doesn't matter.
> 
> Thanks for reading, by the way! Chapter 3 is on the way, and chapter 4 is still being written! Thanks for your patience!


	3. Heaven's End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't leave you guys with such a short chapter like that, so I decided to do a double upload today. Here's chapter 3, and it's almost twice as long as the previous chapter (which still isn't very long whoops)! Thank you for reading up to this point!

Recap:

_ “H-huh…?” Rise started. _

_ Yosuke looked up. “What is it?” _

_ “I have a location. It’s not a new area…” _

_ Teddie perked up. “Raaaawr! That’s right! He’s in Heaven!” _

* * *

 

Everyone exchanged confused glances. Heaven? Nanako’s area? What would Souji be doing in a dungeon that was already explored and that same dungeon was his least favorite dungeon? Did he want some extra training? No… He would’ve at least told Yosuke that he was going to train in the TV. But they all promised that no one would ever go into the TV alone. It’s far too dangerous.

“Well, this confirms that Souji wasn’t thrown into the TV against his will because usually, everyone who’s thrown in creates their own reality within the TV. But… Why is he in Heaven?” Naoto snapped Yosuke back into reality.

He decided to tell everyone what he was thinking. “He’s in the dungeon created by Nanako-chan. But, if he  _ did _ come here because he wanted to… Why didn’t he tell any of us?” Yosuke mumbled another sentence that no one heard. “Why didn’t he tell me…?”

Naoto cast her eyes at the floor and adjusted her hat. “Regardless, we have to confront him. He must’ve had a reason to enter this world of his own accord.”

Everyone nodded and agreed when Kanzeon vanished. The party started to walk towards Nanako’s area using Rise and Teddie’s guidance, with Yosuke as the substitute leader.

Throughout the duration of the walk, Yosuke started to feel anxious for many reasons. Confronting Souji? Shit, he’s never had to do that before. Well, there was that one time at Samegawa… But that ended up in both of them getting decked in the face. It’s not like he wasn’t satisfied with the result, though. But he was also nervous about his position in the Investigation Team, what with Souji being absent. He has been used to playing second banana for so long, he hadn’t even considered Souji ever leaving his position and requiring Yosuke to step up as the leader. How could he ever replicate Souji’s leadership? He doesn’t know the first thing about ordering people around. He just couldn’t find the courage to do so.

That was when Yosuke learned about all that Souji had to constantly keep track of. Weaknesses, strengths, when to defend yourself, when to heal, when to attack, etc… But he knew he had to do this and that no one else was fit for the job. He had to find Souji and learn why he’s seeking some time alone in an area that’s as dangerous in a minefield.

With his resolve hardened, the team finally arrived at the gates of Heaven. The dungeon looks the same as how they left it, but there was a strange aura emanating from the entrance of the dungeon. Maybe it was the feeling of needing to go into the dungeon for another purpose rather than rescuing or securing someone waiting at the end of the dungeon that would deepen the mystery of the case they were trying their damnedest to solve. The team still needed to reach the end of Heaven, but it was to get answers to their personal questions. From their leader.

Everyone exchanged looks and nodded as they entered the dungeon. However, once they entered, they were met with an abnormal sight. Specks of blood throughout the hallways of the dungeon, with no Shadow in sight. Yosuke stared at the puddle of blood at his feet, mouth wide open.

“Is t-this… his blood…?” No response. Dead silence.

“C-come on… we have to find him!” Yosuke turned back to the party, in an attempt to raise their morale at least by the tiniest bit. Everyone simply nodded silently in response.

The Investigation Team made their way through the dungeon and it was much easier and quieter than their previous trip to Heaven. However, this sense of safety wasn’t comforting or relaxing by any sense of the word. The team was used to finding Shadows around every corner, and this being so far from the norm made Heaven seem like some sort of graveyard with angelic decorations.

Concerned, Rise called out Kanzeon in order to scan the area a second time before continuing. Everyone stopped and let Rise do her job.

“I-I don’t detect any Shadows nearby… But… H-huh?!” Rise’s confusion and sudden nervousness caught the team by surprise.

“I’m getting a massive reading far away… And it’s near Senpai! It’s getting stronger!”

Naoto spoke up. “We have to hurry! There are no Shadows around, so let’s pick up the pace.”

Everyone nodded and made a sound of agreement. The team sped up to a run and Yosuke remained in front of the team. The scenery didn’t change the further they traveled into the labyrinth, but they did notice that some halls had varying amounts of blood on the floor and on the walls, while others held no blood at all. This confirmed to Yosuke that it was indeed someone’s - hopefully not Souji’s - blood, and not some sinister and morbid decoration that the dungeon received while they were gone.

Not much time passed before they finally reached the end of Heaven, and look at the grand staircase below the arch. Rise called out Kanzeon once again before continuing and confirmed that Souji is just ahead, and the powerful Shadow is closing in on their location. Without much delay, the team ran up the stairs. They were surprised to see Souji with torn sleeves, but standing upright and seemingly not suffering from any gashes or bruises of any kind.

“P-part...ner…?” Yosuke’s eyes were starting to well up with tears at the sight of his best friend being okay. As he started to run towards Souji, Souji raised his hand and started to speak.

“Don’t come any closer! It’s coming back.”

“Wha-?! We’ve been worried  **_sick_ ** about you! What the hell-”

Yosuke’s words were interrupted by a maniac laughter. Everyone pulled out and readied their weapons and Souji remained still, his sword firm in his hand. Everyone began to look at their surroundings in an attempt to pinpoint the source of the laughter. Just as Rise was about to call her Persona, she looked at Souji, froze and gasped.

“I-is that… Senpai’s S-Shadow?!”

Everyone looked at Souji, eyes widened. He let out a grunt as if the Shadow seemingly waited for the entire team to show up and join Souji. When all eyes were on Souji’s Shadow, it laughed again and began to speak.

“Hahahahaha! Look, the gang’s all here! They all seem perfectly fine without their  **_leader!_ ** ”

The Shadow’s words rang through Yosuke’s ears. “W-what is it talking about?”

“Ohohoh, did they make Yosuke here replace ya? Well well well, look at how much the second banana has grown without us!” Yosuke stared at the Shadow, with his mouth open and shaking with anxiety as the counterpart continued. “Come on  **_me,_ ** why don’t we tell our ‘best friend’ exactly how we feel about him?”

All eyes were on Yosuke as his eyes widened. This situation was far too familiar to him. “Partner… d-don’t tell me… You hate m-me too…?”

Souji turned to Yosuke with a frown and sighed heavily. The Shadow looked at Souji and grumbled when Souji didn’t give any comment as a rebuttal. It then turned to Yosuke and laughed. “Hahahaha! How precious! Hate?! Quite the contrary!”

Yosuke looked back up at the Shadow, confused at the message it was trying to send to him. “W-what…?”

“Hahahaha! You still don’t get it?! To spell it out for you, we lo-”

Souji gripped his longsword harder and interrupted the Shadow. “That’s enough! It’s my decision to tell him what I feel, and it’s my decision when and where to tell him!”

The bright yellow-eyed Souji scowled at him. “Like that’ll ever happen! Hahaha, why do you think I’m here?!” It raised its hand and pointed at Souji. “You **_knew_**  you ****were contradicting your inner thoughts too much and for too long! You entered the TV all on your own to face your ‘other self’ so the others wouldn’t know and be disgusted with your true feelings and thoughts!”

Souji grunted. The team gasped and Yosuke was still confused. He didn’t know if he should ready his kunai for a fight or if Souji will accept his Shadow, since he has seen many others disapprove of themselves, initiating a tough fight.

“Look at them! They were all lost without you! How could they chase down the culprit and end this without their beloved leader?!”

Souji talked back to himself with a harsh tone and a comment of his own. “They got here perfectly fine by themselves! They don’t need me! They’re perfectly fit to fight any Shadow without me! You know nothing about me or my friends here, and you call yourself ‘the other me’?”

Everyone knew where this was going. They wanted to tell the silver-haired teen that he was oh so incorrect, that they needed him, but now’s not the time. A fierce battle was approaching, so everyone readied their weapons and got ready to call their Personas at a moment’s notice. They had a lot of questions but they’ll be sure to get answers later.

The Investigation Team was already in their battle stance when Souji spoke again and the team let him shout the dreaded words: “You’re not me!”

The other Souji began to grow in power and let out another crazy laughter. “Hahahahaha! What power…! I’m my own being now! I don’t need you!”

Souji’s 'other self' fused with other Shadows and began to transform. When the red mist that swirled around it vanished, it left behind a grotesque and incomplete version of Izanagi. When Shadow Izanagi presented itself to the team, Yosuke glanced at the real Souji and wasn’t surprised to see Souji already on the ground, lying unconscious. He looked back at the Shadow remembering that his best friend is down and out, so he is going to have to give the orders. His first fight as a leader and it’s versus Shadow Izanagi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Can someone tell me how they actually write fanfiction that is one long story that has 17k words in it? I would love to learn how to write so many words since I usually get to the point really quickly, and my stories become very short because of that.
> 
> Chapter 4 is currently being written, and it has some violence (nothing too drastic), but it'll probably be out by either tomorrow or Wednesday! Thank you for being patient!


	4. Shadow Izanagi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol what do you mean I’m like 3 WEEKS LATE AND I HATE MYSELF lolololol

Recap:

_He looked back at the Shadow remembering that his best friend is down and out, so he is going to have to give the orders. His first fight as a leader and it’s versus Shadow Izanagi._

* * *

Yosuke chuckled when he thought back to Souji when he defeated Shadow Jiraiya. It was Souji’s second battle and he was all on his own.

“I am a Shadow… The true self…” Everyone’s Shadow always started with that cliché line.

“Come! Show the leader how much you’ve grown!”

Yosuke glanced back at the team and they all gave a confident look in response, waiting for Yosuke’s orders.

“Alright! Teddie and Yukiko, focus on support! Naoto, focus on attacking it but try to save as much energy as possible! Chie and Kanji, raise everyone’s attack and defense then attack with Naoto! I’ll keep an eye on Souji while raising the team’s evasion! Rise, watch the Shadow’s health and try to scan for a weakness!”

Everyone nodded and understood their orders, then called their respective Personas. Yosuke rushed over to Souji and checked if he was still breathing. He had a pulse, so he set Souji back down. “Hang in there, partner…”

Yosuke called his Persona and struck first with Garudyne. Rise then called out to the team. “There! It’s weak to wind! Don’t use Mudo, Hama, or Zio skills!”

Yosuke nodded and called out to the team to switch their tactics. “Naoto! Forget about Mahamaon and Mamudoon! Kanji, focus on using physical skills!”

Kanji yelled back with a “gotcha!” and called Rokuten Maoh. He worked on raising everyone’s defense while Naoto called her Persona and prioritized using Garudyne. Teddie and Yukiko remained in the back lines, attacking with their respective elements while keeping an eye on who the Shadow attempted to attack. Chie raised everyone’s attack and let Teddie use his Bufu skills. She ended up using physical skills with Kanji.

The Shadow shrugged off most of their attacks, but Rise clarified for them that they were doing damage. The Shadow roared, and a bolt of lightning struck down and hit Yosuke. Using this to its advantage, the monster attacked again, using Dekaja to cancel all of the effects the team made to raise their stats. Teddie nodded to Yukiko, and she called Amaterasu to use Diarahan on Yosuke.

Many rounds and what felt like hours went by as the team kept repeating their strategy with little signs of success. Rise occasionally reminded the team that they only had to keep it up a little while longer, even though she said “a little while longer” hours ago. She took the time to raise the team’s stats every now and then, but the battle wasn’t going any quicker. It didn’t take very long for the team to become exhausted, covered in bruises and gashes created by Shadow Izanagi.

Yosuke made it his top priority to remain close to and defend Souji, glancing back at him every now and then to make sure that the Shadow never touched him. Yosuke was also getting tired because spamming Garudyne and the occasional Diarama when the healers were occupied took a lot out of him when it’s all in one battle.

Yosuke stopped in his tracks when he heard a groan from behind him. He turned his head to see Souji trying to sit up, rubbing his forehead with his hand. Yosuke immediately turned to run towards Souji and kneel down beside him, hoping that the others could distract the monster for a little bit while Yosuke checked to see how Souji was doing.

Souji opened his eyes to see Yosuke’s worried and concerned face looking down at him, but his eyes widened when he saw the back of Shadow Izanagi right behind Yosuke, attacking his team.

“I-is that… my Shadow?”

Yosuke chuckled, despite the obvious danger. “You’re quite the tough cookie, partner. Hehe…”

Souji smiled, but it quickly turned into an anxious frown when he studied Yosuke’s condition. “Y-Yosuke, you’re bleeding everywhere! Let me heal you!”

Souji sat upright while Yosuke stared at him with a confused expression and began to call a Persona with supportive skills. “Pers...on… Ugh!” Souji began to go limp, but Yosuke caught him and held him in his arms.

“Easy there, partner. Your Shadow is still going crazy. Don’t try to summon anything and let us take care of it. You need to rest.” He hesitated before continuing. “I’ll come back for you. I promise.”

Souji smiled weakly and hugged Yosuke with what little strength he had. Yosuke flushed, then hugged him back. Souji pulled back and let Yosuke stand up to go fight the Shadow and Souji crawled backwards to remain out of the fight, while still looking at Yosuke running towards Shadow Izanagi. Yosuke felt strength flow through him, much unlike how he felt the minute before Souji woke up, and he felt like he had at least 70 more reasons to take down Souji’s Shadow and return to him.

Running back to the fight, Yosuke called Susano-o and hit Shadow Izanagi with as much power as he could before the Shadow turned to strike at him again with an electric attack. Yosuke’s Persona allowed him to evade the monster’s Ziodyne with ease, then he continued to bombard it with attacks. The team stared, fascinated by Yosuke’s newfound strength, but were then blinded by a short flash of light. As the light faded, they looked and saw that Yosuke’s Persona was evolving again right before their eyes, into Takahaya Susano-o.

“Feel that mighty wind!” Yosuke suddenly called out, and the team had adrenaline pump through them as they felt their strength return.

The team stood upright and they felt like they had enough energy to finally secure their victory against Shadow Izanagi. With one last Garudyne from both Naoto and Yosuke, the Shadow was knocked off its feet. Rise then called out to the team. “Places, everyone!”

Everyone stood together in a line, ready to initiate an All-Out Attack. “And… Action!”

With all the strength they had left, they ran towards the monster and attacked it as a team. As smoke appeared from their raid, the team used attack after attack to bring the Shadow down. As the smoke vanished, the monster was down and out. The red mist that swirled around it as it transformed dispersed, reverting the monster back to its form that looked like Souji. Yosuke turned around and sprinted towards Souji to help him get up and walk.

“You alright, partner?” Yosuke spoke in a concerned tone.

Souji groaned and chuckled afterwards. “Yeah, thanks for everything you guys have done.”

Yosuke shook his head and put Souji’s arm around his shoulder to help him up. Souji continued to groan as he stood up and the pair shuffled slowly to Souji’s other self. Yosuke never took his eyes off of the other teen, even after he began to speak to his Shadow.

“I knew I was rejecting most of my own thoughts. It’s the reason why I came in here. Just remember that the two of us are always going to be the same person, no matter how many times I fight with myself.”

The yellow-eyed Souji nodded and transfigured into Souji’s first and original Persona, Izanagi. When Izanagi vanished and the card disappeared within Souji, he sighed heavily and began to go limp. Yosuke put more strength into his shoulders to help Souji remain standing. Souji barely had the strength to speak.

“Hehe… I guess I owe you all an apology, huh…?”

Yosuke and the team chuckled in response, but Chie spoke up on behalf of the group. “Just tell us when you plan on going into the TV next time! This place is really freakin’ dangerous alone!”

Souji frowned and winced at her loud tone. “You’re right… Sorry.”

Chie frowned in response and Yosuke perked up in order to lighten the mood and speak to the team. “Alright gang, Souji’s safe. Let’s get out of here and I’ll take him home for him to rest. Let’s get Adachi some other day.”

The team nodded their heads and Yosuke pulled out a Goho-M to transport everyone to the entrance of Heaven. The walk back to the main entrance was quiet, with Yosuke and Souji bogging down the pace of the other members a bit. When they reached the main entrance, Teddie hit the floor with his foot to summon a stack of TVs that the team used to return to their world. Adachi would have to wait another day, but they still have time until the 31st.

The team showed up back at the electronics department of Junes. They all waved goodbye to each other and went their separate ways. Yosuke and Souji continued walking together and both of then smiled now that they had some alone time together.

Yosuke spoke up when he looked around and couldn’t see anyone. “S-so… what was your Shadow talking about…?”

Souji sighed. “I knew you were going to ask something. I’m sorry if it seemed like I hated you…”

Souji, with his arm still around Yosuke’s shoulder, nuzzled his head into Yosuke’s neck. Yosuke’s face must’ve been as red as a tomato, but it was strange to both of them that neither of them ever tried to pull away from each other until they reached Souji’s house.

In front of Souji’s house, they both sighed and let go of each other. Yosuke sadly waved goodbye and started to walk in the other direction but stopped when he heard Souji call his name.

“Yeah?” Yosuke asked, turning his head to Souji.

“Could you… Um… Spend the night here…?”

Yosuke looked at Souji with a confused expression but then realized that he’s been alone in his house ever since Nanako and Dojima were hospitalized before the incident with Namatame. Yosuke nodded and smiled.

“Sure, partner. I’ll keep you company.”

Souji limped towards Yosuke and hugged him tightly. “You’re amazing… Partner.”

Yosuke returned the hug and hid his scarlet-colored face in Souji’s shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE SHIP IS BEGINNING TO SHOW AAAAAA  
> Anyways, I’m extremely sorry about being like a few weeks late, but I have exams coming up and I’ve been getting ready for those lately. The exams are this week, but I’ll try to publish the later chapters! Chapters 5 and 6 are already done!


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